(Joshua 10:12-13) Then spoke Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the men of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still at Gibeon, and thou Moon in the valley of Aijalon."
(Chronicles 16:30) tremble before him, all earth; yea, the world stands firm, never to be moved.
(Psalms 104:5) Thou didst set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be shaken.
(Job 9:6) who shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars tremble.
Thanks for digging those up. I am perfectly able to admit that the biblical authors believed the earth was flat, the sun rotated around the earth, and God used special creation to create life. In fact a literal reading of Genesis portrays a world view completely different from our own (e.g. the firmament).
However, I don't think the authors got their beliefs from God (their views represent those of society at the time). Also in the bible God never
teaches these things. They are in chapters about a different subject written from the perspective of humans who had little scientific knowledge of the world.
The fact that Christianity taught geocentrism for over 16-centuries and even executed and imprisoned those who attempted to demonstrate heliocentrism makes such an argument a bit disingenuous.
Whilst you are probably right can I ask
who was executed?
Only after science clearly demonstrated that the Earth orbits the sun did Christianity change footing and begin claiming the Bible doesn't hold a stance of geocentrism.
It's very easy to make this seem like science versus christianity but that's looking at history quite selectively. It's more accurate to say it's the 'church' versus scientists and most of the time both the church
and the scientists were christians.
This is a standard pattern with Christianity. It takes the Bible literally until science proves those claims to be untrue. Then, after much fuss, objection and arguing, Christianity alters it's "interpretation" of what the Bible says to find greater compliance with what science can demonstrate.
Again you can't treat 'christianity' as a person. After these scientific advances many christians put up no fuss, objection or arguments. To say all christians were interpreting Genesis completely literally before Darwin would also be inaccurate. Looking at Augustine's views on it I doubt he'd be that suprised by the theory of evolution.
This has happened with the geometry of the Earth, the heliocentric nature of the solar system and is now going on with evolution. Claiming one thing and then after you've been shown to be wrong, claiming you never argued otherwise simply isn't honest.
Do you have any sources for their being an issue with the church and the flatness of the earth?
Wikipedia said:
From
Late Antiquity, and from the beginnings of Christian theology, knowledge of the sphericity of the Earth had become widespread.
[14] As in secular culture a small minority contended with the flatness of the Earth.
All three of these examples are of huge scientific discoveries that
completely changed the way we look at the world. Practically everyone would have had an issue with adjusting. That the church, as a highly political, dogmatic institution, takes a bit longer is hardly suprising. Especially as our 'holy book' was written by flat earthers, geocentrists and creationists and people falsely believe it is the 'word of God'.
"The word of God" has become a euphamism for "Bible" among Christians. If you'd like examples it wouldn't take me long to come up with dozens and I'll gladly provide you with links.
Don't worry, I've seen plenty for myself and I am completely aware that you are right. The expression is still unbiblical and highly theologically inaccurate.
I agree it's not the word of God. But I'm not a Christian. Most Christians absolutely believe the Bible is God's word and the authors absolutely suggest that they were providing God's word which was presented to them through inspiration from God.
You may certainly hold a different view. But that being the case, your view is not representative of the standard Christian view.
How are you defining the standard christian view?
Whilst I may be in the minority, especially on here, I am not on my own. Just about every time somebody refers to the bible as the 'word of God' in origins theology they are pulled up for it.
I'd agree that some authors thought they were providing God's word but I'd probably limit that to the prophets and the law. The majority of the bible was written by people recording events. Whilst at points they were recording words that God spoke there is no reason to believe that they thought that their narration of the events was 'God's word'. The bible also contains songs written to and about God, and letters written to early churches. They can only accurately be described as the authors words, not God's.
Please not there is a difference between calling the bible 'God's word' and believing it is divinely inspired.